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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · lean · mate · stand · foot · bound · field · branch

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mate — a partner
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bound — certain
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mate — to breed
  12. lean — to bend
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bound — tied together
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. mate — a friend
  17. lean — thin
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bound — obliged
  23. field — a subject
  24. racket — a loud noise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com